St. Patrick's Day/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby A boy, Tim, is sitting in his kitchen. He reads from a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and M… Tim is cut off as a robot, Moby, walks across the kitchen, dressed in traditional Irish garb and playing the bagpipes very badly. When Moby is gone, Tim clears his throat and returns to reading from the typed letter. TIM: As I was saying; Dear Tim and Moby, Why do we celebrate… Moby reenters the kitchen and stands in front of Tim. He is still dressed in traditional Irish clothing and playing the bagpipes badly. Tim frowns, annoyed. TIM: Will you knock it off? Moby stops playing. TIM: Thank you. Tim reads from a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, why do we celebrate St. Patrick's Day? From, Kyle. St. Patrick's Day is a time to celebrate the traditions and culture of Ireland. An animated map shows the island nation of Ireland. TIM: It's observed every year on March 17th. A calendar page shows the month of March. The 17th day is circled. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Yup. St. Patrick's Day is usually marked by parties and parades. The biggest is in New York City, where close to 150,000 marchers walk down Fifth Avenue. An image shows a group of bagpipe players walking in formation in New York City's St. Patrick's Day parade. They are wearing Irish kilts. TIM: It was first held in 1762 by Irish soldiers stationed there as part of the British Army. In Chicago, the Chicago River is dyed green for the festivities. An animation shows the Chicago River running through downtown Chicago. The river's water is green. TIM: In Buenos Aires, Argentina, there's an all-night party in the streets. An image shows the party Tim describes. TIM: And in Dublin, the capital of Ireland, there's a five-day St. Patrick's festival, with concerts, fireworks, and theatrical events. An image shows the festival that Tim describes. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, people wear green clothes and shamrocks, or three-leafed clovers; listen to traditional Irish music; and consume foods like corned beef and cabbage. Images show the green clothes, shamrocks, musical instruments, and food that Tim describes. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Why celebrate Ireland? Because more than 70 million people around the world can trace their roots back to the Emerald Isle! There are more than 35 million Irish Americans living in the United States. An image shows an Irish flag in the shape of the United States. A shamrock appears in the middle of the image. TIM: That's nine times the population of Ireland itself! During the 18th and 19th centuries, lots of Irish people left their home to settle in the United States, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere. More than a million of them came to the U.S. between 1845 and 1855 alone. An image shows Irish immigrants arriving by boat in New York City. The Statue of Liberty is visible in the background. TIM: When they arrived, the immigrants often faced discrimination and poverty. An image shows a sign. Text of the sign reads: Help Wanted, No Irish Need Apply. TIM: But on Saint Patrick's Day, they'd come together to show pride in their heritage. An image shows two Irish men. One holds an Irish flag. The other holds a shamrock. TIM: And their descendants have kept the tradition alive. An image shows present-day, smiling young Irish adults dressed in festive green clothing and wigs. MOBY: Beep. TIM: You're right. These days, Saint Patrick's Day is mainly secular, or non-religious. But it was originally a Christian holiday that celebrated the patron saint of Ireland. An image shows Saint Patrick. TIM: In the Catholic Church, that's a special guardian of a geographical region or area of life. The whole parties-and-parades thing is a North American invention; until recently, most Irish people only celebrated by going to church! MOBY: Beep. TIM: Yep. Saint Patrick was a real person. He lived during the 5th century. He wasn't born in Ireland, though; he was from nearby Great Britain. And his original name wasn't Patrick, either. It was Maewyn Succat. An image shows a young Maewyn Succat, standing between his parents. TIM: Maewyn was the son of a wealthy Christian family. But when he was sixteen, he was kidnapped by a band of thieves! An animation shows thieves putting a bag over Maewyn and carrying him off. His parents frown. TIM: He was taken to Ireland, where he became the slave of a powerful chief. An animated map depicts Maewyn being taken from Great Britain to Ireland. TIM: For the next six years, Maewyn worked as a shepherd. Alone and afraid, he turned to his religion for comfort and guidance. An animation shows young Maewyn on his knees with his eyes closed, praying in a pasture full of sheep. TIM: After he escaped, he made it his life's mission to return to Ireland and convert the people there to Christianity. Maewyn became a priest, and changed his name to the Latin Patricius, or Patrick. An animation shows an adult Maewyn, or Saint Patrick, preaching to a group. He holds a shamrock up between two fingers. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, back then, most Irish people practiced a religion that celebrated nature and involved the worship of many gods and goddesses. An image shows an ancient Irish family, with a mother, father, and young boy. TIM: Eventually, the Catholic Church made Maewyn a bishop, kind of like a head priest. For 30 years, he traveled through Ireland, establishing churches, schools, and monasteries, and ministering to the people. An animation depicts Saint Patrick walking around Ireland. Churches appear wherever he walks. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Yeah. Saint Patrick is said to have died on March 17th, which is why that day is now celebrated in his honor! MOBY: Beep. Moby is still holding bagpipes. TIM: I think you'll have to practice a little more if you want to march in the parade this year. Moby starts playing his bagpipes again. He sounds terrible. Tim covers his ears. TIM: Ugh. Bad idea! Tim removes his hands from his ears and smiles. TIM: Happy Saint Patrick's Day, everyone! Moby continues to play. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Social Studies Transcripts